Monica and Shannon Brown Welcome Baby Girl

Monica and Shannon Brown welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Laiyah (full name Laiyah Shannon Brown) on September 3 at 1:55 p.m. She came in weighing six pounds, one ounce, ESSENCE learned.

Today, proud papa Shannon posted a picture of himself holding Laiyah. "I thank God for her!" he wrote. "Joy has been restored in my life!"

The couple's friend Vanessa Bryant initially broke the news on her Instagram account—sharing her excitement over Laiyah's arrival. Laiyah is the couple's first child together. Monica has two sons, Rocko, 8, and Romelo, 5, from a previous relationship. Shannon is dad to Shannon Christopher Jr.

Although details are sparse, Monica told People that she is excited about having another girl in the house. "I know everything about WrestleMania and Tonka Trucks so I’m excited to share shopping dates and manis and pedis with her," she said. "But I’m really looking forward to teaching her about life. I want to be an example to her like my mother was to me."